As many of you will know, the Mini celebrates its 50th birthday this year. At the age of 8 my son Andrew saw the Michael Caine movie 'The Italian Job' for the first time and immediately fell in love with all things Mini. He promised himself at that age to save up all the money he received as birthday & Christmas presents with a plan to buy an old Mini and 'do it up ' ready for the road when he was 17.
Well, true to his word he did exactly that ! At the age of 13, with enough money saved, he bought a 1991 Mini City E 1000 on Ebay for £700. He is now 17 and passed his test in January and in the intervening years, with assistance from myself and his mother, the Mini has been gradually repaired and restored. When he was 13 nobody expected him to attain the height of 6 foot 6.5 inches but with a lower Cobra seat and a much smaller steering wheel to allow room for his knees he fits it - just !
As a way of celebrating the Mini's 50th and Andrew leaving school before going to university in September we are embarking on a John O'Groats to Lands End trip in aid of The Alzheimers Society which Andrew's grandfather succombed to 6 years ago. We head off on Saturday 27th June from our home in Inverurie, 17 miles north west of Aberdeen to John 'O'Groats and all being well we hope to arrive at Lands End on Wednesday 1st July.
I suspect that many of you reading this post will have experienced the trauma of a relative suffering from Alzheimers Disease or some other form of dementia. Alzheimers is what can only be described as a personality stripping illness which has no respect for age or social status.
If you would like to support Andrew & myself get to our target of raising £500 for this very worthwhile cause, however small, then you can donate online at Justgiving - Andrew Forbes's JOGLE Fundraising Page
On our way back north we will be attending the Goodwood Festival of Speed on all 3 days so hope to meet some of you there.
Well, true to his word he did exactly that ! At the age of 13, with enough money saved, he bought a 1991 Mini City E 1000 on Ebay for £700. He is now 17 and passed his test in January and in the intervening years, with assistance from myself and his mother, the Mini has been gradually repaired and restored. When he was 13 nobody expected him to attain the height of 6 foot 6.5 inches but with a lower Cobra seat and a much smaller steering wheel to allow room for his knees he fits it - just !
As a way of celebrating the Mini's 50th and Andrew leaving school before going to university in September we are embarking on a John O'Groats to Lands End trip in aid of The Alzheimers Society which Andrew's grandfather succombed to 6 years ago. We head off on Saturday 27th June from our home in Inverurie, 17 miles north west of Aberdeen to John 'O'Groats and all being well we hope to arrive at Lands End on Wednesday 1st July.
I suspect that many of you reading this post will have experienced the trauma of a relative suffering from Alzheimers Disease or some other form of dementia. Alzheimers is what can only be described as a personality stripping illness which has no respect for age or social status.
If you would like to support Andrew & myself get to our target of raising £500 for this very worthwhile cause, however small, then you can donate online at Justgiving - Andrew Forbes's JOGLE Fundraising Page
On our way back north we will be attending the Goodwood Festival of Speed on all 3 days so hope to meet some of you there.
